Emily Dickinson Lexicon

BEN-E-FI'CIAL, a.

1. Advantageous; conferring benefits; useful; profitable; helpful; contributing to a valuable end; followed by to; as, industry is beneficial to the body, as well as to the property.
2. Receiving or entitled to have or receive advantage, use or benefit; as, the beneficial owner of an estate. – Kent.

BEN-E-FI'CIAL-LY, adv.

Advantageously; profitably; helpfully.

BEN-E-FI'CIAL-NESS, n.

Usefulness; profitableness. – Hale.

BEN-E-FI'CIA-RY, a. [L. beneficiarius. See Benefaction.]

Holding some office or valuable possession, in subordination to another; having a dependent and secondary possession. – Bacon.

BEN-E-FI'CIA-RY, n.

1. One who holds a benefice. A beneficiary is not the proprietor of the revenues of his church; but he has the administration of them, without being accountable to any person. The word was used, in the middle ages, for a feudatory, or vassal. – Encyc.
2. One who receives any thing as a gift, or is maintained by charity. – Blackstone.

BEN-E-FI'CIEN-CY, n.

Kindness or favor bestowed. – Brown.

BEN-E-FI'CIENT, a.

Doing good. – Adam Smith.

BEN'E-FIT, n. [Primarily from L. beneficium, or benefactum; but perhaps directly from the Fr. bienfait, by corruption.]

1. An act of kindness; a favor conferred. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits. – Ps. ciii.
2. Advantage; profit; a word of extensive use, and expressing whatever contributes to promote prosperity and personal happiness, or add value to property. Men have no right to what is not for their benefit. – Burke.
3. In law, benefit of clergy. [See Clergy.]

BEN'E-FIT, n.

A play, the proceeds of which are for a particular person.

BEN'E-FIT, v.i.

To gain advantage; to make improvement; as, he has benefited by good advice; that is, he has been benefited.

BEN'E-FIT, v.t.

To do good to; to advantage; to advance in health, or prosperity; applied either to persons or thing, as, exercise benefits health; trade benefits a nation.

BEN'E-FIT-ED, pp.

Profited; having received benefit.

BEN'E-FIT-ING, ppr.

Doing good to; profiting; gaining advantage.

BE-NEME', v.t. [Sax. be and naman.]

1. To name. [Not in use.] – Spenser.
2. To promise; to give. [Not in use.] – Spenser.

BE-NEMP'NE, v.t.

To name. [Not in use.] – Spenser.

BENE-PLACITO, adv.

In music, at pleasure.

BEN-E-PLAC'I-TURE, n. [L. beneplacitum, bene, well, and placitum, from placeo, to please.]

Will; choice. [Not in use.] – Glanville.

BE-NET', v.t. [be and net.]

To catch in a net; to insnare. [Not used.] – Shak.

BE-NEV'O-LENCE, n. [L. benevolentia, of bene, well, and volo, to will or wish. See Will.]

1. The disposition to do good; good will; kindness; charitableness; the love of mankind, accompanied with a desire to promote their happiness. The benevolence of God is one of his moral attributes; that attribute which delights in the happiness of intelligent beings. “God is love.” 1 John iv.
2. An act of kindness; good done; charity given.
3. A species of contribution or tax illegally exacted by arbitrary kings of England. – Blackstone.

BE-NEV'O-LENT, a. [L. benevolens, of bene and volo.]

Having a disposition to do good; possessing love to mankind, and a desire to promote their prosperity and happiness; kind.

BE-NEV'O-LENT-LY, adv.

In a kind manner; with good will.

BE-NEV'O-LOUS, a.

Kind, benevolent. [Not used.]

BEN-GAL', n.

A thin stuff made of silk and hair, for women's apparel, so called from Bengal in the East Indies. – Bailey. Johnson.

BEN-GA-LEE', n.

The language or dialect spoken in Bengal.

BEN-GA-LESE', n. [sing. and plur.]

A native or the natives of Bengal. – As. Res. vii. 171.